As Japan's opposition circles around a unity bid, Takaichi’s route to power narrows

Under normal circumstances in Japan, the leader of the governing party would be the prime minister, particularly between election cycles.

But these are not normal times in Tokyo, with outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba staying on in a caretaker role after resigning on Sept. 7 .

Sanae Takaichi, the current president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the woman poised to become the country's first female prime minister, faces a tougher path to power after the abrupt exit of coalition partner Komeito.

Komeito's abrupt withdrawal from the ruling coalition on Oct. 10 left the LDP with an even smaller minority in the Diet, Japan's parliament, and opened the door for a potential opposition upset.

A vote to choose the next prime minister was initially scheduled for Wednesda